Editorial: Don't overlook California's role in Nevada's high gas prices

The Editorial Board, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sep 9, 2026

Published in Op Eds

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The biggest long-term problem facing Nevada drivers isn’t what happens in the Strait of Hormuz. It’s California’s war on fossil fuels.

On Labor Day, the average price of gas in Nevada was almost $5 a gallon. According to AAA, that’s well above the previous Labor Day record of $3.82, set in 2012. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford sees a political opportunity in these painful prices. On Monday, he posted a picture showing gas at $5.69 at a gas station in Reno. He blamed the cost on the Iran War.

Certainly the Iran War has increased gas prices. But Ford has yet to explain how, as governor of Nevada, he would dictate foreign policy in the Middle East. Nevada drivers would be much better served if Ford explained his strategy to deal with a problem much closer to home — California’s dwindling refinery capacity. Because of existing pipelines, Nevada gets around 88 percent of its gasoline from California.

Over the last year, two major refineries closed in California, leaving it with just six major refineries. In 2017, California had the capacity to refine about 2 million barrels a day. Today, that number is under 1.5 million.

These closures didn’t happen randomly. They are the result of deliberate policy choices made by California Democrats. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats want their state to have net zero carbon emissions by 2045. By necessity, that requires cracking down on gasoline refineries.

This is why Nevada’s gas prices are so much higher than most other parts of the country. In Texas, for instance, gas on Labor Day cost $3.67 a gallon. A year ago in Nevada, gas cost $3.86 a gallon. Gas in Texas is cheaper during the Iran War than gas in Nevada was before it.

Things would be worse in California — and hence Nevada — if President Donald Trump hadn’t suspended the Jones Act. California had been dependent on oil from Asia to meet its demand. The Iran War significantly disrupted that supply.

What happens in neighboring states is a problem that a Nevada governor can address more directly. To his credit, Gov. Joe Lombardo has. He has publicly rebuked Newsom on this issue. Lombardo created the Nevada Fuel Resiliency Committee, which is looking for ways to reduce Nevada’s dependence on California. There are no easy solutions, but the Western Gateway Pipeline has promise. In contrast, Ford has campaigned with Newsom.

When it comes to lowering future gas prices for Nevadans, Lombardo’s approach holds more promise than Ford’s.

_____